UK IT managers are spending more than five million hours per year searching for lost emails, according to a survey.

The wasted effort equates to more than £140m in staff costs, says the poll from e-Media, commissioned by email management specialist Mimecast.

Email is the most important communication method between businesses, but too often filtering systems are weeding out valid messages.

Sixty per cent of the survey's 100 respondents said they had lost important emails. More than half check their mail quarantines daily and another 22 per cent check it a few times a week.